St. Benedict at Auburndale High School (SBA) in Memphis is one of only approximately 1,000 schools worldwide to implement AP Capstone, an innovative diploma program that allows students to develop the skills that matter most for college success: research, collaboration and communication.

The program consists of two courses taken in sequence: AP Seminar and AP Research. Developed in direct response to feedback from higher education faculty and college admission officers, AP Capstone complements the in-depth, subject-specific study of other Advanced Placement® courses and exams.

Students who earn scores of 3 or higher on AP Seminar and AP Research assessments and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing will earn the AP Capstone Diploma. This signifies their outstanding academic achievement and attainment of college-level academic and research skills.

Students who earn scores of 3 or higher on both AP Seminar and AP Research assessments only (but not on four additional AP Exams) will earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

Other local schools currently in the program include Houston High School in Germantown and White Station High School in Memphis.

St. Benedict will start AP Seminar in the fall of 2017.

Upon the announcement, SBA Principal Sondra Morris said, “This innovative program gets a broader, more diverse student population ready for college and beyond. The program gives our teachers more leeway with curriculum choices so their students can access more challenging coursework and sharpen their reading and writing skills.”

Assistant Principal and Academic Dean Dr. Beth Fischer remarked, “I am thrilled that the College Board has bestowed this honor on St. Benedict. I believe that our consistent student success rate of over 80 percent on all the AP courses we offer made a significant impact on this distinction to become a Capstone school. We have offered 16 Advanced Placement courses in English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language and Fine Arts. … In total, over the past three years, we have 32 AP Scholars (earning a score of 3 or higher on at least 3 exams), 16 AP Scholars with Honors (earning an average of at least 3.25 on all exams taken and a 3 on at least four exams), 26 AP Scholars with Distinction (earning an average of at least 3.5 on all exams taken and at least a 3 on five exams) and three National AP Scholars (earning an average of at least a 4 on all exams taken and a 4 on at least eight exams). We are very proud of the excellent faculty who work with our students on a daily basis to prepare them for admission and success at the finest universities. We will continue to investigate valuable opportunities for our students and bring programs that will advance them in all educational fields.”